“TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD; DWELL IN THE LAND AND ENJOY SAFE PASTURE (Psalms 37:3Psalms 37:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. verily: Heb. in truth, or, stableness  

WP-Bible plugin).” This is what we are to do. Instead of fretting, we are to be TRUSTING! The cure for fretting is faith. Regardless of the circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord. Trust signifies “to take refuge”, “to lean on”, and “to stay upon”. The basic idea of the word is associated with firmness or solidity. To trust in the Lord means to put faith, or to believe in the Lord recognizing that He will always be there. He will be there as a place to hide in times of trouble. He will be there to lean on when our bodies and spirits get weak. He will be there to stand on when the ground underneath us begins to give way. He is solid and firm, like a rock, and He will never be moved.

“Trust” is not a mere emotion or simply trite words spoken, but a conscious act of the will. Trust is placing our absolute confidence in God regardless of the situation at hand or the lack of evidence we do not possess. Oh, what awesome encouragement this is for us beloved, in the light of the chaos and uncertainty in the world today! There may be someone here this morning…maybe it’s you…who do not feel safe, who do not have confidence that God is able regardless of whatever comes our way. Let me say to you - trust Him. It’s worth to trust Him.

Dwight L. Moody once said, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. Trust in your reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it. BUT TRUST IN GOD AND YOU ARE NEVER TO BE CONFOUNDED IN TIME OR ETERNITY.” So don’t put your trust in people, people who don’t know the Lord, they may be wealthy people, or people who seem to have it made in life. He says, “Put your trust in the Lord.” People will die, but not the Lord! People come and go, but not the Lord! He is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting! He has no beginning and no end. Put your trust in Him today!

Global financial crisis…

The U.S. financial crisis has many people worried. And the troubles are worldwide. We’re facing a global financial crisis, just as the Bible predicted will happen in the last days. In the book of 2 Kings, Samaria was in a crisis that threatened their very lives. The Syrians had besieged the city, and there was a famine so terrible that people had resorted to eating horrifying things. Then Elisha prophesied to the king that by the next day “a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel” (2 Kings 7:12 Kings 7:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 ¹ Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.  

WP-Bible plugin). A seah is about seven quarts, and a shekel is worth about 25 cents, so this would be a huge turnaround in their fate.

“Windows in heaven”

At this point, one of the king’s officers said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (7:2). His reaction is understandable, on a purely human level. They were starving, with enemies all around them. But God was about to provide for the people in a miraculous way. You can read this fascinating story in 2 Kings 6:25-7:202 Kings 6:25-7:20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. ²⁶ And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. ²⁷ And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? If…: or, Let not the LORD save thee ²⁸ And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. ²⁹ So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. next: Heb. other ³⁰ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. ³¹ Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. ³² But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? ³³ And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? ^{7 1} Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. ² Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. a lord…: Heb. a lord which belonged to the king leaning upon his hand ³ And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? ⁴ If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. ⁵ And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. ⁶ For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. ⁷ Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. ⁸ And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. ⁹ Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household. some…: Heb. we shall find punishment ¹⁰ So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. ¹¹ And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within. ¹² And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. ¹³ And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, and let us send and see. in the city: Heb. in it ¹⁴ They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. ¹⁵ And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. ¹⁶ And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. ¹⁷ And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. ¹⁸ And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria: ¹⁹ And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. ²⁰ And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.  

WP-Bible plugin. But look back at the expression the officer used: “windows in heaven.” I picture a building so filled with grain that when the windows are opened, it pours out like a flood. And this description was pretty much true. There were “windows in heaven.” God had a plan, and God provided.

I know who holds the future!

Are you
not
of more
value than they?
Now I want to draw you to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on… Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26Matthew 6:25-26
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  

WP-Bible plugin). Several times in this section (v. 25-34) He repeats that message: “Don’t worry.” I think it’s no accident that Jesus talks about worry right after the folly of trusting in wealth. Riches are insecure, just like everything else in this world. But the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills isn’t worried. His storehouse is full, and He cares for you.

I won’t try to predict what will happen in the financial world; I’m a preacher, not an economist. But I want to echo the words of Jesus: “Don’t worry.” As the old song says, “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”

Bible Prophecy

The current financial meltdown that is taking place in the US that affects many countries like a domino effect may very soon lead to a global economic solution that will set up a one world system. These are the things that Bible prophecy scholars were warning about 20 years ago. The pieces of the puzzle are falling in place at the present time. Yes, Jesus’ coming is very, very near!

How Do We Respond?

But how do we, as Christians, respond to this? First of all, we need not fear for the Lord will rapture us in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. And while waiting for that day, He will make sure that He will provide for His people’s needs for God’s economy is not affected by the world’s economy. We live by a different principle, we breathe under the reign of the King of the universe, who loves us and gave His life for us! “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Rom.8:31-32).

Do Not Worry About Tomorrow

Secondly, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34Matthew 6:33-34
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  

WP-Bible plugin). It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the world’s troubles. There are not enough hours in the day to pray for all the problems out there! It’s easier to focus on the things in our own lives, our own family members and our own finances and troubles. It’s harder to care deeply and daily about people whose faces we’ve never seen. Yet, even as we pour out our hearts to God for the things important in our own lives, we need to remember something vital Jesus said and that is to seek first His Kingdom. God knows we need to pay our bills. He knows we want Him to protect and guide our children. He knows we need His direction. And, we should definitely keep praying for these things and trusting Him for them daily. Even so, we should also take some time every day to simply seek God’s Kingdom.

Seek Ye First His Kingdom…

How can we partner with God in accomplishing His will in the darkest places on earth? It could be that God is ready to do something wonderful in a life, or a town, or a country, if only His people are willing to ask Him for it. Seek first His Kingdom. Jesus says if we do, all those other things we need taken care of will be taken care of. Keep praying. The gates of Hell will not prevail if we do!